This invention relates to a system for supporting incompressible heat transfer surface within the support framework of a rotary regenerative air preheater.
The typical rotary regenerative air preheater employs corrugated heat transfer plates either with or without intermediate flat plates. The channels between the plates formed by the corrugations form gas and air flow pathways through the rotor in the axial direction. When these plates are tightly packed into the typical basket, the corrugations are slightly compressed to provide a spring force to maintain the tightness under conditions of corrosion, wear vibrations and other operating conditions.
In certain situations, it is desirable to employ a mass of incompressible heat transfer material in place of the spring-like corrugated sheets. For example, it may be desirable to use ceramic blocks as the heat transfer material. Suitable ceramic blocks or sheets are commercially available items such as "Celcor" from Corning Glass Works. Blocks are available in various dimensions such as 10 cm by 10 cm cross section and in varying lengths up to perhaps 50 cm. The material is available with anywhere from 1.2 to 62 channels per square cm and may be catalyst coated. Another form of incompressible heat transfer surface is flat metal plates with spacing tabs bent perpendicularly outward therefrom to space the adjacent plate. Such a configuration forms an incompressible mass as compared to the conventional arrangement of corrugated plates or alternating corrugated and flat plates.